1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for creating a surface covering and, more particularly, to a three-dimensional shaped article.
2. Description of the Background
It has long been appreciated that natural resources are limited and continue to be depleted with each passing day. An awareness has also arisen over the detrimental impact certain materials and products have on the environment. The USEPA estimates that commercial and residential rubbish in the United States amounts to more than 200 million tons a year. Much of this material, such as paper and paperboard, is biodegradable and can be recycled, keeping it out of landfills thereby conserving landfill space and extending the lives of landfills. As a result, there is an ongoing need to find uses for biodegradable and recyclable waste materials that can cost effectively replace, outperform, and compete with non renewable and/or non recyclable materials currently in the market
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) estimates that approximately 36% by weight of all municipal solid waste in the United States is paper and paperboard. Most paper and paperboard is recyclable and the use of recycled paper and paperboard is not new. Recovered paper is used to make a variety of products including copier paper and corrugated boxes, for example. The USEPA estimates that in 2001 the percentage of paper and paperboard recovered for recycling was approximately 45%.
The use of recycled molded paper or fibrous materials as an alternative material for use in consumer products is not new. For example, molded fiber egg and fruit crates, made from recycled paper, have been used for years in the packaging industry. Molded, fibrous, bio-degradable products are also used to produce molded fiber planters and gardening products.
The use of recycled molded paper or fibrous material, although effective as an environmentally friendly alternative material, has been limited to use for a relatively narrow range of products. Also, once a product is made from a molded fibrous material it is generally limited to a specific use. For example, molded fiber crates, while effective as packaging materials, are limited in their use, as are egg and fruit crates. Moreover, molded fiber crates are also not recommended or considered acceptable for use as surface coverings (e.g., wall coverings) for residential or commercial applications since they are not designed for installation on flat surfaces utilizing, for example, water-based or tape adhesives, and do not pass regulatory requirements for furnishings.
Typically, sound panels and acoustical insulators are sold as tiles specifically for improving or dampening acoustic properties of a space. Such tiles are usually made from polymer foam or wooden materials and are readily available to, for example, the construction trade and contractors, as well as directly to consumers such as musicians. However, acoustical tiles tend to be expensive and are installed more often for acoustic needs or desires than for aesthetics or decoration. Also, the more common uses of acoustic tiles are on walls and ceilings in, for example, music rooms and theaters for dampening or deadening noise. Such tiles are typically mechanically attached to walls and ceilings by a variety of means.
There are also textile products available for dampening sound, which provide a unique appearance to a space. However, many of these products are incapable of being applied to a surface in a manner similar to applying wallpaper or other type of surface treatment. Instead, such products are typically hung, stretched and/or fastened to walls or ceilings in order to create, an aesthetic effect and to improve, acoustic performance. Other textile coverings are designed to be used similar to traditional wallpaper. However, these materials tend to be acoustically limited as well as structurally limited to specific shapes and designs, and to specific textures and weaves and generally require expensive and often tedious on-site installation.
Other known products include molded panels, specifically designed to enhance acoustic properties of an interior space. These products are typically made from molded polyester fibers, and form a self-supporting structural wall panel instead of a surface covering.
Thus, there is a need to develop an environmentally friendly surface covering product that is biodegradable and recyclable, yet functional and aesthetic, and that can be inexpensively manufactured using existing machinery and readily available recycling infrastructures.